I would like to bring “Drugs” topic to the floor today. I ask our people, especially youth to stay away from drugs. Do not try or attempt to use any drugs because it will destroy your health and your future. Please, help raising awareness on drugs among friends and community. Again, I order to all relevance Ministries and authorities to take serious actions to stop all kinds of drug trafficking throughout Cambodia. We all must say “NO” to drugs.

Drug has become a hot subject in the world, region and each country. For Cambodia, drug has been destroying future of our youth. They have become victims of those criminals who trafficked drugs. The situation has put parents and superintendents of drug addicts in conditions more difficult that those addicts themselves. Their parents and superintendents shed their tears because of their children, both money and honor. Worse still, some addicted children have also threatened and tortured their parents to extort money for drugs, etc.

Competent authorities have made heinous efforts to prevent drug trafficking and taken both educational and legal measures, such as making arrest and sending traffickers to court as well as organizing a rehabilitation centers for drug addicts. My wife and I are making monthly financial contribution to three centers of that sort – two of which are in Battambang and one is in Banteay Meanjei.

It is my understanding that measures taken by the Royal Government, competent authority, court and prison would not be sufficient. To eliminate drug and to guarantee effective elimination of drugs for a drug-free Cambodia, everyone must say “No” to drugs. Every individual, male or female, old or young, must make own effort. Each family must make efforts to manage and educate their children and those under their supervisions. Schools, teachers, professors must provide education to students and peer to peer education to stay away from drug would do a great deal to prevent (use of) drugs.

Buddhist monks, leaders of Islam and teachers of Christianity can also contribute in this work. They can appeal to their followers not to use drugs. Media, artists, MCs of various shows on radio and TV also have the resources and ability to help our youth to stay away from drugs. Facebook fans can also make comments against use of drugs. More importantly, I think that everyone must say “No” to drugs so drug traffickers would not have market for it. Let us all not worry about a fact that competent authorities would be jobless or courts would not have drug cases to try./.